In 3 little Steps
by candysoul
Summary: Puck starts seeing Rachel in a different light and likes what he sees!


Thanks **Jenna** for beta reading it :)

_Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything._

Rachel Berry was annoying as hell. She walked the school as if she owned it and she thought that she was better than everyone else. That's why no one here liked her and that's also why we kept on egging her house and throwing slushies at her face. She didn't seem to care much. She was in her own little world where she was the star and everyone else admired her and wanted to be like her. Yeah right!

Rachel Berry was a pain in the ass and only cared for herself and no one else. She left the Glee Club because Mr. Schue wouldn't give her the solo. She didn't like sharing the spotlight with anyone else.

* * *

We were about to perform 'Somebody To Love' when Mr. Schue came in to tell us that April was no longer part of Glee. And there went my dream. With April gone and Rachel still insisting on being the star and not returning to Glee there was no chance for us to compete at the sectionals.

Mr. Schue told us there would be other opportunities and that we shouldn't worry.

"Excuse me, I think I might have a solution!" She said quietly as she moved into the room. I lifted my head to look at her. She looked scared almost as if she was afraid to speak.

"In show business when a star can't perform her understudy steps in! I'd be happy to go in for April if you let me!" She explained hopefully.

"Since when are you willing to be an understudy?" Mercedes asked her. It came out a little bit harsh but she kinda deserved it for leaving us behind to do her own thing.

"Since I quit the play!" She said which made me look at her in shock just like the rest of us.

"Really? Why?" Kurt was the first one to ask but everyone wanted to know. We all knew that Rachel didn't like sharing the spotlight so why would she quit the play?

"I realized being a star didn't make me feel as special as being your friend." Did she really just say that? "If I let you down when you needed me the most I'd never forgive myself." Who would have thought that Rachel actually cared about other people? "I know all the words to the song!" She was so hopeful that we wouldn't reject her.

"You don't know the choreography!" Quinn bitched as usual with Santana nodding in agreement. Rachel's face fell and it looked like she was about to nod and give up. I've never seen her like that before.

"Then we're gonna have to give her a lot of help out there!" Of course Finn had to step in and be her knight in shining armour. Perfect Finn!

A small smile, you would have missed it if you blinked, graced Rachel's lips.

We performed together as a group for the first time that night and it felt amazing. I never thought that singing with those freaks could actually be this much fun.

* * *

Several days have passed and we were doing an assignment for Glee Club. It was boys vs. girls doing a mash up. We did pretty well thanks to Mrs. Schue's Vitamin D. The girls, especially Rachel, were in complete shock at how much we rocked. The only one missing was Quinn. I wondered where she was.

Later that day I saw Rachel walking towards Quinn's locker talking to her. I wondered what that was all about so I moved closer to hear what they were saying.

"I haven't seen you at Glee rehearsals!" It's interesting that Rachel even noticed Quinn missing.

"I'm not superwoman! I know Glee is your whole life but I have the Cheerios and I have friends!" Quinn was being bitchy again but Rachel stood her ground.

Quinn was about to walk away when Rachel continued. "You don't have to be embarrassed! No one at Glee is going to judge you!" Quinn turned around and looked at Rachel. Was she being serious? "Look I know everyone expects us to be enemies and be in competition but I don't hate you!" Did she really just say that? Why? Quinn has made her life a living hell.

"Why not? I've been awful to you!" Truer words have never been spoken.

"That was before you knew what it felt like to be me! An outsider! More people are going to start finding out about this and you're going to need friends who can relate."

"How can you relate to what I'm going through?"

"You don't think people whisper about me in the lunch rooms or draw pornographic pictures of me on the bathroom walls!" Oh yeah I've seen these. They were actually pretty hot!

"That was me actually!" Of course it was her!

"Look, I don't agree with the choices you're making but you're going to need Glee. You have 7 months of your youth left you should enjoy it. And let's face it in a couple of months that cheerleading uniform isn't going to fit and we're going to be all you have left." Quinn just stared at her in disbelief. Why was she being so nice? Quinn certainly didn't deserve it.

"Just come back to practice. Boys vs. Girls, its fun and we could certainly use your voice right now. You're actually a good singer Quinn. Occasionally sharp but that's just because you lack my years of training." I almost laughed out loud at this. Leave it to Rachel to let everyone know how talented she is. She just had to rub it in everyone's face. Totally annoying!

"I would have tortured you if the roles were reversed. You know?"

"I know." Rachel just said before she walked away with a smile on her face leaving a stunned Quinn behind.

Who would have thought? She was actually a better person than I thought. I guess I should have given her more credit. Well it's never too late for a second chance, right?!

The next day they performed their mash up and I just couldn't help but stare at Rachel. She definitely looked like optimism, sunshine and angel in her cute yellow dress.

* * *

"What will it take for you to not run this story?" I heard Rachel yell at that creep Jacob.

I moved closer so I could hear what they were talking about. I didn't mean to eavesdrop again I was just curious.

"You know exactly what I want!" He answered pouting his lips. Rachel looked at him in disgust. "I want your panties!" I almost choked on my slushy. Good thing they didn't notice.

"Ok. If I give you one of my panties you won't run that story about Quinn being pregnant?! Do we have a deal?" I almost choked again. Was she really willing to give that creep her panties just because of Quinn? Why was she doing this? How could I have been so wrong about her?

"Deal!" He tried to shake on it but Rachel stormed off with a look of pure repulsion on her face.

The next day I saw them again and Rachel gave him a pair of her panties. He looked so happy and eager. Way too happy for my taste. I wanted to smack him right then and there! She looked nauseated when she saw him retreat into the boy's bathroom. I swear I'm gonna kill that kid one day.

It looked like Rachel's blackmail worked and Jacob dropped the story about Quinn until Sue Sylvester let the bomb drop. She knew about the baby and she told us that everyone would know soon. Quinn's world just fell apart in that moment and Rachel stared at her with sadness and worry in her eyes. Who would have thought that one day the roles would be reversed and Quinn would be the one that people felt sorry for. People like Rachel.

The next thing I knew Rachel was storming out of the room. I looked around to see if anyone was watching me and when the air was clear I followed her.

I saw her tiny frame in front of Jacob as she was yelling at him as if there was no tomorrow.

"How could you do this? Do you realize how much pain you caused by running that story?" She was so angry. I've never seen her that angry before.

"Sue made me do it!" Was all he could reply before she slapped him and stormed off.

Later that day she returned to the Glee Club with music sheets in her hand. We all wondered what she was up to when she handed us the papers.

"I want us all to sing this for Quinn when she comes back! We are a group and we should show her that we are behind her and that we will support her no matter what!" We looked at her in utter shock.

"Who are you and what have you done to Rachel Berry?" Leave it to Kurt to make a joke like that.

"Just because I can be self-absorbed and brassy sometimes doesn't mean that I don't have a heart." She said with hurt in her eyes. "I just thought this was a nice thing to do since Quinn is going to need us and I really want to be there for her."

"Why?" She spun around to see Quinn standing in front of her with Finn by her side. She looked terrible. Her eyes were all red and puffy.

"Because you belong to us now and as I told you before we are not going to judge you, no matter what." Rachel smiled at Quinn before she took her hand and squeezed it lightly. Quinn started crying again and pulled Rachel into a hug.

We all stared at them in disbelieve. It was like watching the Twilight Zone. Rachel Berry and Quinn Fabray were hugging. The world must have come to an end.

* * *

We all got along just fine at the Glee Club. Rachel has made a complete turnaround and was being less annoying. Of course she would still babble about stuff but I kinda found it to be really adorable rather than annoying.

As great as the club was going the rest of the school seemed to hate us. A slushy war started and Finn was the first one to be hit by it. I felt sorry for him and thought that something like that could never happen to me until one day when I was walking the halls of McKinley High I felt the cold splash on my face.

This was not happening I told myself. I heard people laughing and retreated to the boy's bathroom. I was fuming. How was that possible? I was a stud and I was part of the football team. I beat up people just for the fun of it and now people were laughing at me?

I looked into the mirror and damn that stuff was sticky. I never realized how painful this actually could be. I could feel it dripping down my shirt and it really wasn't a great feeling.

I heard the door open quietly and was ready to yell at whoever was about to enter until I saw the small frame of Rachel holding a chair in one hand and two towels in the other one.

What was she doing there?

She moved closer and placed the chair in front of the sink motioning me to sit down. I did without saying a word. She put one of the towels on the sink so my neck wouldn't hurt and I leaned back.

She wetted the other towel a little bit and when her hands touched my face I felt a little jolt go through my entire body. She must have felt it too because she retreated her hands from my face looking scared, I looked up at her and leaned back allowing her to wash off the sticky syrup. She cleaned my face first and then started to remove it from my hair.

"You're pretty good at this!" As soon as it left my mouth I wanted to slap myself for being such an idiot. Of course she was good at this. After all the slushy showers I had put her through it was really no surprise.

"I had a lot of practice. You're actually a lot luckier than me. Your head is shaved." She finished cleaning my hair and dried her hands with the towel looking down at me. I lifted my head to look into her eyes and was taken a back at how beautiful and sad they were. I felt like a complete jerk for ever hurting her. All I wanted now was to protect her.

"I'm really sorry I ever did this to you!" I apologized though I knew this wasn't enough. I had some major grovelling to do to make this right.

"It's ok!" She said in a small voice. She sounded so hurt and fragile that I just wanted to wrap my arms around her and hold her for eternity.

"No, it isn't." She looked like she was about to break and I hated myself for all the stuff I did to her. Why was she even here? I made her life a living hell and here she was helping me out. Out of all the people in this school I deserved her help the least.

She looked at me and nodded before she turned around and was about to leave. I had to do something. I couldn't just let her walk away like this. Before I knew it I grabbed her hand and pulled her onto my lap. She looked at me in shock but didn't move.

"It really isn't ok! I was a jerk and you really didn't deserve any of it." She kept on staring at me. I could tell that she was close to crying. The tears were already forming in her eyes and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she actually was. She looked like an angel.

When she didn't say a word I continued.

"Thanks for stepping up for Quinn. I know what you did for her." She stared at me slightly embarrassed. "Don't worry. I wont tell anyone!" She sighed relieved. "That was really great of you. Also thanks for helping me with this!" He looked down at his shirt that was full of corn syrup. He looked back up at her and smiled.

"It wasn't just because of Quinn." She spoke for the first time. I swear this is the longest I've seen her quiet.

"What?" I was slightly confused.

"Quinn being pregnant wasn't the only story that Jacob wanted to run." Did she know? But how could she know? "He wanted to reveal that you are the actual father of her baby." Oh my God! She knew? How did she know?

As if she could read my mind she answered me.

"I overheard the two of you talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything." She apologized.

I couldn't believe this.

"How did you do it?" I wondered. If panties weren't enough for Jacob to shut up then she must have done something else to make him forget about the story. He shuddered at the thought.

"I don't really want to talk about it." She had that disgusted look on her face again and I couldn't help but wonder.

Once again she must have read my mind.

"No I didn't do that but it's still not something I want to talk about."

"Why? I mean Quinn and I were terrible to you. We treated you like dirt. Why would you do this?" Then it dawned on me. She didn't do any of this for us. She did it for Finn. She didn't want the truth out because that would have hurt him. Of course. I've been such a fool.

"Let me guess. You did it for Finn." I asked although I already knew the answer to this question.

"I did it for all of you. I just don't think that the truth would do any good in this case. I don't want the group to fall apart. I finally feel like I belong somewhere that I'm part of something special and for the first time in my life I have friends. It's nice to not be alone all the time." She was crying now.

I hated when girls cried and I've never seen Rachel Berry cry. With all the mean things we have done to her I've never seen her cry. "It's ok." I told her and caressed her cheek. I could feel her tense at my touch and I wasn't sure what it meant. I moved closer to her and could feel her breath tickling my face. It was now or never.

"What are you doing Noah?" That was all it took for me to lose it. My name on her lips made me forget everything else around me and I crashed my lips onto hers. She didn't move. She felt limp against me and I wondered if I made a mistake until I finally felt her kissing me back. She opened her mouth granting me access. I slipped my tongue into her mouth exploring every inch of her hot mouth. She was driving me crazy. The kiss tasted salty from her tears. She smelled like strawberries and I swear I could have gotten lost in that moment.

We pulled apart when air became necessity and we both were breathing heavy. He lips were swollen from the kissing and she looked at me in surprise. She didn't know what was going on. I tried to kiss her again but she pulled away. She stared at me apologetic. "Is it Finn?" I asked.

She shook her head.

"It's Quinn!" I looked at her shocked and confused. Was she actually crushing on Quinn this entire time? I had to say I never saw it coming. "You like her! I know it. I have seen the way you stare at her. I can't be second best again. It hurts too much." When she was about to get off my lap I pulled her back to me and looked her in the eyes.

"Listen to me. Yes I like Quinn but I'm not in love with her." Oh crap. Did I really just say that? That almost made it sound like I was in love with Rachel. She looked at me and I had no idea what to say. After a moment I continued. "I've wanted to kiss you ever since the mash up. My feelings for you started to change when you showed up that night and we sang 'Somebody to love'!" I should really stop talking now.

She looked at me hopefully.

"You have feelings for me?"

And there it was. This was the moment. I could break her right now or man up and admit it.

"No." Her face fell and I could see tears forming in her eyes once again. "Actually I'm in love with you!" She looked up at me and started grinning from ear to ear.

And then she lowered her lips to mine and kissed me!


End file.
